NPC WEBINAR - 3rd DECEMBER 2020 - Ageism, Human Rights & Hate Crime - The impact of ageist attitudes on the rights and lives of older people in the UK
2020 has been a terrible year for us all but most particularly for our oldest and most vulnerable.
Not only were they at greatest risk during the Covid-19 pandemic, but many also faced shocking and unprecedented breaches of their human rights.
The NPC is to hold a webinar discussion on ‘The Role of Ageism on Human Rights and Rising Hate Crime’ on Thursday, 3rd December 2020, from 11am to 1pm which will reflect on what has happened this year.
A panel of distinguished experts, chaired by NPC General Secretary Jan Shortt, will discuss what went wrong during the pandemic. Is it symptomatic of a wider problem with ageism in the UK, and what can we do to put it right?
In this second of the NPC’s webinar summits, guest speakers will include, among others: Eddie Lynch, the Older People’s Commissioner for Northern Ireland; Jackie Killeen, Director of Compliance, the Equality and Human Rights Commission; Holly Harrison-Mullane, Community Organiser, Amnesty International UK; and Dr Hannah Bows, Associate Professor of Criminal Law, Durham University (Dr Bows has just written a report on legislating on hate crime against older people for the Scottish Parliament).
To register for the Zoom webinar please visit:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
We do hope you will support this important event, which will also live stream on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaOS6x3u6pTyeFNb6usGDVg/videos
For those not able to attend, we will put the link to the recording of the Webinar on our website.
Why is the NPC holding this online summit?
Older people have been hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic. Care home residents have accounted for more than 40% of the UK’s 50,000 plus Covid-19 deaths, with reports of major failures in treatment regimens as hard-working but unprepared staff and residents tried to cope in the chaos of the first lockdown.
Amnesty International UK’s shock report ‘As If Expendable: The UK Government’s Failure to Protect Older People in Care Homes during the COVID-19 Pandemic,’ laid bare how older people were often pushed to the back of the queue as the authorities worked to deal with the pandemic.
Evidence of elderly patients being discharged from hospitals to care homes without virus testing; ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ signs (DNRs) being issued for some elderly patients without consultation; and horrendous lack of PPE and testing in care homes shows how the care system struggled to cope.
Jan Shortt, NPC General Secretary said: “The human rights of older people sadly played very little part in the first lockdown. As we move into winter where cold-related deaths are monitored, we must also ensure the tragedies of the first lockdown are not repeated – and look to a future where older people are not ‘Expendable’ but properly protected and valued.”
For more information email: info@npcuk.org
ENDS